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The cost of college tuition can be anywhere from $3,440 to $32,410 a year according to collegeboard.org. Imagine being someone who spent that much money, and then found out that they won’t be getting the education they paid for. For many students at colleges that have been shut down, this is their reality.

The most recent closing of a college would be the closing of the Pittsburgh Institute of Art. Many of the students going to the institute had to transfer to local colleges or try to find other options to finish their degree.

A note worth taking about these closings would be most colleges and institutes that are shutting down are experiencing or have been experiencing a decrease in enrollment. When looking for a college, it is always important to look at the overall enrollment rate, along with the rate of success. Many people won’t pay to go for a college that doesn’t have a high placement rate. With a decrease in students, colleges will then not be able to afford to stay open.

When looking for a college, make it a note to check whether or not it is a public college or a private college. Most of the colleges that are on the list of schools shut down are private. This means that they don’t receive any of their money or funding from the government, which can hurt them in the long run.

For people looking to enroll in a private college, this doesn’t mean that their dream needs to be changed. To try and not be put in these situations, everyone needs to think about and research their college more. A few good questions would include, “Where is this college located?” and “Is this college located in a more rural area or a more urban area?” Urban areas are more likely to have a greater number of students to enroll in colleges near there. For example, According to Pointpark.edu Point Park University had an enrollment of 3,140 students in 2015-16. Where as, according to pitt.edu the University of Pitt-Johnstown had an enrollment of 3,000 in 2010.

The same goes for smaller colleges; many people gravitate to larger schools, meaning many small colleges struggle to stay open. In this case, the best option is to look to see how and where smaller colleges get their money from. Also look at what they offer and whether or not those studies are growing. Lastly, if the college is part of a chain of colleges, (for example, Penn State Beaver is a branch campus) they are less likely to get shut down than another school without branch campuses.

The most important thing about picking a certain college is to research that college. By doing so, a lot of money will be saved in the long run.